Golf Rules

Valid through 2027

Please note changes to individual skills competition format.

Special Olympics New Hampshire has created this set of rules based on the rules outlined by Special Olympics International as well as the rules outlined by the International Golf Federation, the international governing body for golf.

These rules shall be used to govern all Special Olympics New Hampshire Golf competition through the end of 2027 when we next review these rules.

Events Offered

• Individual Skills Competition
• Unified Sports Alternate Shot Team Play Competition (5 Holes)
• Unified Sports Alternate Shot Team Play Competition (9 Holes)
• Unified Sports Alternate Shot Team Play Competition (18 Holes)
• Unified Sports Aggregate Shot Team Play Competition (18 Holes)
• Individual Stroke Play Competition (9 Holes)
• Individual Stroke Play Competition (18 Holes)

Registration

• Golfers may register for one event.
• Each Local Program must have at least one head coach (who may also be a player) registered for the tournament.

Divisioning

• Local Programs will submit scores, including for Individual Skills athletes, through Agon.
• Score cards with course indexes and slope ratings will need to be sent in. The course indexes and slope ratings will be used to division competition.

Equipment

• A valid driver’s license is needed to drive a golf cart.
• Each player is responsible for providing his/her own equipment, including a set of clubs (no more than 14 clubs), golf bag, golf balls, tees, divot repair tool and ball marker.
  • Teams (comprised of an athlete and a Unified Partner) may share clubs provided that the total number of clubs carried by the team does not exceed 14.
• Athletes must wear golf attire like khakis and a golf shirt. Jeans are not permitted.
• Athletes must wear golf shoes or sneakers.

Competition

General rules

• Teams shall consist of one athlete with an intellectual disability and one Unified partner without an intellectual disability.  

• For ALTERNATE SHOT TEAM PLAY COMPETITION, an athlete and Unified Sports partner play one ball.  The players play alternately from the teeing grounds and then alternate strokes until the ball is holed or until 10 strokes have been played.
  • For AGGREGATE SHOT TEAM PLAY COMPETITION, each player plays his/her own ball; the combined score of the two balls will be the score for the hole.
• For INDIVIDUAL STROKE PLAY COMPETITION, athletes play golf by themselves and compete against other athletes on an individual stroke play basis for 9 or 18 holes.
• Before the round, each team determines whether the athlete and partner tee off from the even or odd numbered holes. Athletes and partners will tee off from the front tees on their respective driving holes.
• All players will play from preferred lies in their own fairway. The ball can be placed within one club length and no nearer the hole. However, if the ball is in the rough or a bunker, its lie cannot be improved; it is played where it is.
• Players must pick up the ball after ten strokes; the score for that hole will be 10x.
• A swing and miss counts as a stroke.
• Out-of-Bounds
  • If Player A hits the ball out-of-bounds (outside the white markers), Player B will re-tee from the tee box. This is loss of stroke and distance because it is re-teed from the same spot; after teeing off, the team will lay 3.
  • After teeing off, if it cannot be determined whether Player A’s tee shot is in bounds, Player B will hit a provisional tee shot. If the ball is in-bounds, the provisional ball is picked up and not played.
• Hazard
  • If Player B loses his/her ball or it goes into a hazard (marked by red or yellow markers), Player A places a new ball near to where it was lost. One stroke penalty is accessed.
  • If the ball was in the rough, the next shot will also be played in the rough.
• If at the end of the round there is a tie for first place, the following protocol is followed:
  • The player or team with the fewest 10x’s is declared the winner (first place).
  • If it is still a tie, the matching of scorecards occurs beginning with hole number 1. Proceed through the round until the tie is broken.
• All other ties shall remain as ties; both players/teams who have tied should be presented with the same award and place of finish.

INDIVIDUAL SKILLS

• The purpose of the Individual Skills Competition is to allow athletes to train and compete in basic golf skills they’ve acquired with the intention of learning skills necessary to play 5-hole competition.
• The Individual Skills competition consists of four events: putting, chipping, iron shot, and wood shot. Each athlete completes all four events, with scores combined for a total.

Putting

The athlete will have five attempts to putt the ball at the hole from a line 20 feet from the hole, scoring points according to where the ball comes to rest.

• Scoring: sum of five attempts (maximum 25 points)
  • 0 points: swing and a miss (counts as one attempt)
  • 1 point: contact with the ball
  • 2 points: ball inside large ring
  • 3 points: ball inside small ring
  • 5 points: holed putt

• Layout:
  • Player starts from 20 feet away from hole
  • Small target ring is 3 feet in radius
  • Large target ring is 6 feet in radius

Chipping

The athlete will have five attempts to chip the ball at the hole from a line 15 yards from the hole, scoring points according to where the ball comes to rest.

• Scoring: sum of five attempts (maximum 25 points)
  • 0 points: swing and a miss (counts as one attempt)
  • 1 point: contact with the ball
  • 2 points: ball inside large ring
  • 3 points: ball inside small ring
  • 5 points: holed shot

• Layout:
  • Player starts from 15 yards away from hole
  • Small target ring is 6 feet in radius
  • Large target ring is any ball on the green

Iron Shot

The athlete will have five attempts to shoot the ball as far as possible within a target lane with a club no longer than a 6 iron, scoring points according to where the ball comes to rest.

• Scoring: sum of five attempts (maximum 25 points)
  • 0 points: swing and a miss (counts as one attempt)
  • 1 point: contact with the ball
  • 2 points: ball is 20 yards and inside target lane
  • 3 points: ball 40 yards and inside target lane
  • 4 points: ball is 60 yards and inside target lane
  • 5 points: ball is 100 yards and inside target lane

• Layout:
  • The player starts in the center of the driving range with a club no longer than a 6 iron.
  • The target lane is a 40-yard-wide lane that extends straight out from the hitting area, remaining the same width from front to back.

Wood Shot

The athlete will have five attempts to shoot the ball as far as possible within a target lane with their choice of a driver, 3 wood, hybrid, or any club longer than a 6 iron, scoring points according to where the ball comes to rest.

• Scoring: sum of five attempts (maximum 25 points)
  • 0 points: swing and a miss (counts as one attempt)
  • 1 point: contact with the ball
  • 2 points: ball is 40yards and inside target lane
  • 3 points: ball 60 yards and inside target lane
  • 4 points: ball is 100 yards and inside target lane
  • 5 points: ball is 150 yards and inside target lane

• Layout:
  • The player starts in the center of the driving range with a club no longer than a 6 iron.
  • The target lane is a 40-yard-wide lane that extends straight out from the hitting area, remaining the same width from front to back.

Disqualification & Protest

In stroke play, a penalty must not be rescinded, modified or imposed after the competition has closed. A competition is closed when the result has been officially announced.

Exceptions: A penalty of disqualification must be imposed after the competition has closed if a competitor:

• Returned a score for any hole lower than actually taken for any reason other than failure to include one or more penalty strokes, that before the competition closed, he/she did not know he/she had incurred.
• Knew, before the competition closed, that he/she had been in breach of any other rule for which the penalty is disqualification.

• For tournaments and competitions, coaches can assume the role of a caddie, with the understanding they will relinquish their coach privileges (that is, the ability to file a protest) during the competition.